The United Reformed Church (URC) has become an official partner of the national Warm Welcome scheme.
The mission of the scheme is to support community organisations, churches, libraries, businesses and other faith groups to open their doors and provide a warm welcome for those struggling to heat their homes this winter.
Lindsey Brown, Mission Support Officer, and Roo Stewart, Programme Support Officer for Church and Society, both based at Church House, reflect on how vital this service is and encourage United Reformed churches to take part:
Kelvedon URC in the Eastern Synod offers ‘Place of Welcome’ for two hours every Tuesday morning.
It’s a place where tea, coffee, and biscuits are served and provides people with the opportunity to chat in a warm and safe environment.
It is run by the church for the community and the number of attendees is steadily growing.
Kelvedon URC is one of thousands of churches across Britain, as well as libraries, community centres, mosques and more, offering warm spaces to their neighbours this winter.
Will your congregation be joining them?
The URC is partnering with Warm Welcome to provide a ‘heat map’ of when and where people in the UK can access a warm space, to help save them money on their heating bills in these very costly times.
Access the map here.
Other maps and lists can be available from your local authority.
Warm hub facilities are many and varied, responding to the needs of the local community. Refreshments and hot food are sometimes provided (perhaps for free with a donation box available). Many offer a space for interaction, eg a knitting or craft group, a film club or a board game café.
Funding is available for such groups from local authorities – take a look on your council’s website for more information.
Grants are available to cover ingredients, heat and lighting, equipment and training.
You might also consider applying to your Synod for a mission grant. See the URC’s grants and funding page for details. The Chapel on the Hill URC in Southern Synod did this to enable the purchase of lots of useful items that would create a welcoming space with basic food and TV entertainment.
Most local authorities are seeking warm hub venues. They can advise on expectations around serving food and the service you provide. Coordination of neighbouring hubs ensures that there is a warm space available somewhere in the area every day of the week: please ensure you register your hub with the council as well as Warm Welcome.
Not all URC buildings are easy to heat – perhaps there is another building in your area that would be more appropriate. Ideally, opening a warm hub on a day that the building was already being heated for another activity is kinder to the environment and the bank balance.
Many congregations are already operating a ‘place of welcome’, so hosting a warm hub could be a great focus or extension.
In Kelvedon URC’s case, they have scheduled a second weekly session to start directly after their toddler group has finished.
With November 2022 having been unseasonably warm, the demand for these spaces has been lower than predicted, but churches have been finding that their warm hubs aren’t just about heating people up but offering a place of connection and community, which can happen whatever the weather!
While individuals and families can often feel a stigma about receiving charity from food banks, warm hubs can be an altogether different experience.
It’s not only people experiencing poverty who can benefit from warm spaces, but everyone who’s usually at home during the day can come and share, reducing isolation and using our precious resources better. Normalising the space through engaging, meaningful activities led one visitor to say: “Wouldn’t it be great if we all did this and lived like this?”
What else could your congregation offer the community? Free Wi-Fi? A ‘public living room’ experience? A cup-a-soup and a genuine interest in their lives? Or a place to recharge their USB-powered heated shawls? (Yes, these are a thing now!)
As a matter of justice, we’re appalled that warm hubs need to exist in the first place. These are desperate times for many people. You are also invited to join the Joint Public Issues Team and others to campaign for a change in government policy. But so long as they are necessary, can we use warm spaces to demonstrate that we really care for our community, that all are loved and that all can receive a warm welcome.
Links
- Advice: Places of Welcome
- Register: Warm Welcome
- Campaign: JPIT on the cost-of-living crisis
- Some tools for reducing isolation: Linking Lives
- Advocacy action: Advent candle invitation
Next steps
- Contact your local authority: most are organising rotas and are looking for suitable venues. Local authorities have been allocated funding from central government, but each will have its own way of coordinating hubs
- Consult and pray with your church: is your building the best place to do this? Could you support other venues with volunteers, food and drink or donations? Can the church commit to pray for this work?
- Make sure all volunteers have read and understand your church’s safeguarding policy and other relevant policies. Include appropriate supervision and opportunities for debrief in your planning.
- Let your synod and us know about your scheme. We’d love to share your stories and pictures as an inspiration to others.
Image: Dayne Topkin/Unsplash.